The Nagaland Baptist Church Council, known for its contribution towards peace and harmony, is set for a paradigm shift from the church’s old customs of taking up issues related to the socio-economic conditions of people.
During its platinum jubilee celebrations, the council was apprehensive about the destruction of flora and fauna in the state. It expressed its strong-minded intention to jointly fight for conservation of the environment with government and non-governmental organisations.
To bolster this effort, the council declared June 2 as “Green Sunday” and will carry out a massive tree planting drive across the state on June 1.
The Baptist church has also banned serving of meat of wild animals during church conventions and programmes and encouraged organic farming.
The state government and NGOs have welcomed the move.
Speaking at the ongoing platinum jubilee celebrations, Benjamin Chen, one of Asia’s prominent Baptist evangelists, today said the destruction of flora and fauna was a sin against God. Appreciating India’s efforts to fight against global warming, the Baptist preacher urged the Naga Baptist church to join the country in the fight against global warming.
Chen said the church could play a vital role in sending out messages on preservation and protection of our environment. “Destruction and contamination of our planet is a sin,” he said. Destruction of God’s beautiful creation was a sin, he added.
Chen asked churches to form a network with the government and NGOs to preserve and protect the environment. He urged churches and other organisations to support the noble venture of the council, adding that the environment had become a serious issue and that church should not shy away from it.
Governor Nikhil Kumar in his address at the ongoing platinum jubilee celebrations appreciated the contributions of the council, from socio-economic to spiritual aspects in the state.
The governor also lauded the Baptist church for its fight against social evils such as alcohol, drug addiction, HIV and its efforts for church-based self-reliance in Nagaland.
The council had introduced HIV/AIDS and other sex-related issues in the curriculum of all theological colleges in Nagaland. Kumar said the council had worked side by side with the state government to address several social issues, which had confronted society, and above all to usher in peace and unity amongst Nagas.
However, the governor regretted that Nagaland had not achieved permanent peace. He said peace could be brought to the state through collective efforts, stressing that the importance of peace cannot be overstated. The governor said peace was the pre-requisite for development and prosperity in the state. Nikhil urged people to forget the past so that they could build a vibrant and peaceful future for Nagas.
He also lauded the efforts of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) headed by Rev. Wati Aier, to restore peace and unity amongst various Naga groups. “Reconciliation is the pre-condition to bring peace and development in the state,” the governor told the people.
The governor appreciated the contribution of the NBCC’s Peace Mission and said the council had touched every facet of society to bring peace to Nagaland. Thousands of people are attending the four-day celebrations which began on April 19 here.